Category Archives: recipe

We’re hosting our monthly dinner club this month on New Years’ Eve. Instead of making a full sit-down dinner, I’m going to go with nosh-your-way-through-the-night apps. Our dinner club “rules” are that another couple brings dessert and everyone else brings wine. Here’s what I’m thinking I’ll serve:

– DIY Ham Sliders. Hubs got a nice frozen honey smoked ham from a client for Christmas. I’ll slice it up and set it out with rolls, cheese, spicy mustard, mayo, and some fun random jellies (raspberry jalepeno!)

Monday’s are exhausting and long and make me wish the week was already over when the alarm goes off on Tuesday morning. But despite waking up with a case of the Tuesdays, my day ended on a happy note with a big plate of spaghetti and clams. I got this recipe a few years ago from my father-in-law, and it’s one of Hubby’s favorites. It’s what we had for dinner when I met my father-in-law for the first time. That night, my future Hubby, future F.I.L., and I watched “Master and Commander” and devoured this shockingly easy, cheap and yummy dish. Tonight, we watched “Cheers.”

I always keep all the ingredients for Spaghetti and Clams on hand as pantry staples (except for the mushrooms) and consider it a default comfort dinner. Perfect for a Tuesday.

Spaghetti and Clams (for 2)

Ingredients:Olive oil 2 smallish yellow onions, choppedOne small package of white mushrooms, slicedTwo cans Bumble Bee Whole Baby Clams (really important that these are whole, not minced), one can drained, the other notSea saltCavender’s Greek SeasoningFreshly ground pepperGarlic powderParsleyMulti-grain spaghetti (1/2 to 3/4 of the box. 1/2 a box = a heavy amount of clam sauce per person)

Multi-Grain Spaghetti

Whole Baby Clams

In a large frying pan heated to medium, heat a tablespoon or so of olive oil and saute onions until fairly soft. Add mushrooms and saute until they start to get soft and juicy.

Onions and Mushrooms

Meanwhile, heat water to boiling for the spaghetti. Immediately after you add the spaghetti to the boiling water, add the two cans of baby clams (one drained) to the frying pan with the onions and mushrooms. Add a small amount of salt and generous amounts of pepper, Cavender’s, garlic powder and parsley to the clams and veggies. Stir and let simmer while the pasta cooks.

Clams Added to the Veggies

Drain cooked pasta and divide between two plates. Top each serving of pasta with a generous heaping of the clam mixture and drizzle with some olive oil.

My hubby is out of town for the weekend, deep in the no-cell-phone-service reaches of the Alabama woods, for a good friend’s bachelor party. I’ll miss him being away, but I’m thrilled for him to have a break from the day-to-day rat race. And I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I’m a little bit excited about the quiet weekend I’ll be having at home by myself. I have one social outing planned for tonight (Miranda Lambert concert at Billy Bob’s!!!!! Can you tell I’m excited?!), then I’m going to hole myself up and nest, nest, nest.

To prepare for my weekend of nesting, I went to Central Market (non-Texans, I’m truly sorry that you don’t have Central Market in your lives) this morning and spent about $90 on produce. I’m pretty sure the person bagging my groceries was thinking that I am going to start sprouting roots and turn into a vegetable if I actually end up eating everything I bought. Good thing I didn’t spend a buck more on produce because there is zero space left in this refrigerator:

Don’t judge the two (large) cartons of Half and Half.

Also, I bought chicken, ground turkey, half and half, dark chocolate, and current issues of Bon Appetit and Southern Living while I was there. Just, you know, for variety.

I have a whole slew of mostly just veggie and fruit recipes that I plan on experimenting with this weekend, sort of as a detox/reset/nutrient boost for myself and to find new ways to eat super good-for-me things. I also plan on tackling some major organizational projects around our home and working on cleaning, waxing and buffing some of our antique furniture (including an incredible lawyer’s bookshelf that’s been in hubby’s family for years and years – pics to come throughout the restoration project!). And, I may watch a ridiculous amount of chick flicks while all this is happening.

Before I disappear into my nest for the next couple of days, though, I wanted to share with you one of my most favorite healthy, quick and hearty recipes. This is one that is pretty much just in my head, so I finally took the time on Wednesday evening to measure out the ingredients and write down my process. Then I scarfed the food down so fast that no pictures were taken. (Hence the photograph of the inside of my ‘fridge to keep this from being a photo-less post…) Oops.

*note – You will need a julienne peeler for this recipe.They aren’t expensive, and it will change your life.I promise.

Prep your cooking space by having all of your ingredients out and ready.This is a quick recipe, but everything happens at once (thus, making it quick…), so help yourself out by having everything in reach.

Prep the chicken breasts by laying them out on a piece of plastic wrap on a cutting board and cover them with another piece of plastic wrap.Using a heavy pan, a rolling pin or a meat pounder, pound out the chicken.

Prep the pasta by using the julienne peeler to make “strands” of zucchini and squash from the fleshy part of the veggies.

On the stove-top, heat two medium to large skillets/frying pans to medium heat and pour about 1 ½ tablespoons of olive oil in each.While the pans are heating, place a small sauce pan on the stove and empty the cans of tomato sauce, diced tomatoes and tomato paste into it.Add the sugar, garlic and herbs to the tomatoey mixture in amounts that are pleasing to your taste.Stir and heat this sauce pan to medium.(Continue stirring occasionally and keep an eye on the sauce pan while you’re working on the rest of the recipe and turn it down to simmer once it starts bubbling).

Place the veggie “pasta” in one of the skillets/frying pans and sauté, stirring occasionally, just like you would with any veggie.Cook to your desired doneness.

While veggies are cooking, one at a time, dip the chicken breasts into the egg and mustard mixture, letting any excess drip off and dredge well in the bread crumb mixture.Place chicken breasts in the other skillet/frying pan.Cook 3-5 minutes on each side, or until chicken is cooked throughout.

To serve, place a bed of “pasta” on each plate, top with a chicken breast, ladle a generous portion of marinara sauce on top of that and sprinkle with more Parmesan, if desired.